Why In-Season Strength Training Matters

At Cohen Health & Performance, continuing education is not just something we encourage. It is built into how we operate.

Every quarter, we close both of our clinics so our entire team can come together for our CHP Summit. These days are dedicated to learning from one another, discussing the latest research, and finding new ways to better serve the athletes and active adults who trust us with their care.

As a physical therapist in Bethesda or physical therapist in McLean, staying current with the latest evidence allows us to deliver the highest quality rehabilitation and performance training possible.

One of this quarter’s presentations focused on a topic that every athlete and parent should understand: the importance of in-season strength training.

Why athletes should continue strength training during the season

A common misconception is that athletes should stop lifting weights once games begin. Many worry that strength training will leave them sore, tired, or negatively affect performance on the field.

The research tells a different story.

According to the latest evidence presented during our CHP Summit, athletes can begin losing measurable strength and power after just two to three weeks without resistance training. These declines are even greater in younger athletes, who have not yet built years of training adaptations.

Even elite athletes experience significant strength losses after only a few weeks away from the weight room.

The takeaway is simple: maintaining strength during the season matters.

One session per week may be enough

The good news is that maintaining strength does not require spending hours in the gym.

Research suggests that even one quality strength training session each week can help athletes maintain many of the gains they built during the offseason. If schedules allow, two sessions per week can be even more beneficial.

Rather than performing dozens of exercises, athletes should prioritize compound movements such as:

Squats
Deadlifts
Bench press
Rows
Split squats

These exercises train multiple muscle groups simultaneously and provide the greatest return on time invested.

In-season strength training can reduce injury risk

Perhaps the biggest reason to continue strength training during the season is injury prevention.

When athletes maintain their strength and power, they are better prepared to tolerate the physical demands of practices and games. Research has shown that athletes who continue strength training experience significantly lower injury rates than those who stop lifting altogether.

Even if an injury does occur, stronger athletes often return to play faster because they have maintained more of the physical qualities needed during rehabilitation.

For athletes competing nearly year-round, maintaining strength is one of the simplest ways to stay available throughout the season.

Quality matters more than quantity

An effective in-season program does not need to be complicated.

Instead of adding more exercises, focus on:

Four to five compound movements
At least one challenging working set for each exercise
Proper technique
Adequate recovery between sessions

The goal during the season is not necessarily to make dramatic strength gains. It is to preserve the hard work completed during the offseason while supporting performance and reducing injury risk.

Why continuing education matters at Cohen Health & Performance

At Cohen Health & Performance, our quarterly CHP Summits allow every clinician to stay current with the latest sports science research and apply those findings directly to patient care.

Whether you are working with a physical therapist in Bethesda or a physical therapist in McLean, you can be confident that your treatment plan is built on current evidence and tailored to your individual goals.

Looking for guidance with your in-season training?

If you’re an athlete preparing for a busy season, or a parent wondering how your child should balance practices, games, and strength training, we’re here to help.

Our team designs individualized in-season strength programs that help athletes maintain performance, reduce injury risk, and stay ready when it matters most.

Whether your goal is to compete at a higher level, stay healthy throughout the season, or recover from an injury, the right training plan can make all the difference.

Shoulder Pain Rehab Bethesda: Simple Gym Modifications That Can Keep You Training

If you’ve been lifting weights for years, there is a good chance you’ve experienced shoulder pain at some point.

Maybe your shoulder feels irritated during bench press. Maybe overhead pressing has become uncomfortable. Or perhaps pull-ups leave your shoulder feeling cranky for the rest of the day.

The good news is that shoulder pain does not always mean you need to stop training.

One of the goals of effective shoulder pain rehab in Bethesda is helping athletes and active adults continue progressing toward their goals while reducing unnecessary stress on the shoulder joint.

Why Shoulder Pain Develops in Lifters

Shoulder pain is often multifactorial.

When evaluating someone for shoulder pain rehab in Bethesda, we may assess:

Rotator cuff strength and function
Shoulder blade control
Mobility limitations
Rib cage and trunk positioning
Training volume and recovery
Exercise technique and movement patterns

All of these factors can influence how the shoulder handles stress in the gym.

While addressing the root cause is important, we can often make simple training modifications that allow athletes to continue training while their shoulder recovers.

Shoulder Pain Rehab Bethesda: Rethinking Overhead Pressing

Traditional overhead pressing requires significant mobility and control throughout the shoulder complex.

For many lifters dealing with shoulder discomfort, moving directly overhead can increase irritation.

A great alternative is the landmine press.

Because the arm moves slightly in front of the body rather than directly overhead, the shoulder often has more room to move comfortably while still allowing you to build strength and muscle.

For many athletes, this modification provides many of the benefits of pressing with significantly less irritation.

Pull-Up Modifications for Shoulder Pain

Pull-ups are another exercise that can sometimes aggravate shoulder symptoms.

One simple adjustment is switching from a pronated grip, where the palms face away from you, to a neutral grip, where the palms face each other.

This position is often more shoulder-friendly and allows many athletes to continue training without discomfort.

If pull-ups remain painful, exercises such as half-kneeling lat pulldowns can provide a similar training stimulus while placing the shoulder in a more comfortable position.

Bench Press Adjustments During Shoulder Pain Rehab

Bench press is one of the most common exercises associated with anterior shoulder pain.

Often, the issue occurs when the elbows travel too far behind the body at the bottom of the lift, increasing stress on the front of the shoulder.

One simple modification is limiting the range of motion.

Using a foam pad, bench block, or other spacer can reduce how far the bar travels without significantly affecting strength or muscle-building benefits.

Even reducing the range of motion by an inch can make a noticeable difference for some lifters.

The Goal Is Not to Avoid Exercise

A common misconception is that shoulder pain rehab means avoiding challenging exercises.

In reality, the goal is often the opposite.

Effective shoulder pain rehab in Bethesda focuses on identifying why the shoulder became irritated in the first place while finding ways to keep you active and progressing toward your goals.

Sometimes that means strengthening the shoulder. Sometimes it means improving mobility. Sometimes it means making temporary modifications to your training.

Most often, it involves a combination of all three.

Get Help With Shoulder Pain Rehab in Bethesda

If shoulder pain is limiting your workouts, sports performance, or daily activities, you do not necessarily need to stop doing the things you enjoy.

The right assessment and treatment plan can help identify the root cause of the issue while providing practical strategies that keep you moving.

At Cohen Health & Performance, we help athletes, lifters, and active adults overcome shoulder pain and return to training with confidence. If you’re looking for shoulder pain rehab in Bethesda, our team would be happy to help.

Back Rehab: Why Core Control Matters More Than Most People Think

When most people think about core training, they think about aesthetics.

Flatter stomachs. Better abs. Looking leaner for summer.

But in back rehab, the conversation is often much deeper than appearance alone.

At our sports physical therapy clinic, we frequently see athletes and active adults dealing with recurring back pain despite being strong, active, and consistently exercising. One common issue we find is poor pressure management and core control.

Learning how to properly control pressure through the abdomen can play a major role in reducing stress on the spine, improving movement mechanics, and helping people return to the activities they love.

What Is Core Pressure Control?

Your core is designed to help stabilize your spine during movement.

When functioning well, the muscles around the abdomen, ribs, diaphragm, and pelvis work together to create support and control pressure throughout the trunk. This allows the spine to better tolerate lifting, running, jumping, and sports performance.

However, many people struggle to maintain that pressure effectively.

Instead of creating stability inward toward the spine, the abdomen pushes outward and the low back often falls into a more compressed position. Over time, this can contribute to irritation and recurring discomfort.

This is something we commonly address during back rehab for athletes, lifters, runners, and active adults.

Why This Matters in Back Rehab

Many people with back pain focus only on stretching or strengthening the low back itself.

While strength is important, successful back rehab often requires improving how the body coordinates and stabilizes movement.

Poor pressure management can increase stress on the spine during activities such as:

Weightlifting
Running
Rotational sports
Prolonged sitting
Carrying heavy objects
Everyday bending and lifting

For athletes especially, ineffective bracing mechanics can become more noticeable as intensity increases.

That is why improving core control is often a key component of back rehab programs.

A Simple Example We See Often

One common presentation we see is someone who notices their stomach protrudes outward during exercises that require bracing or core stability.

This is not necessarily a body composition issue.

Instead, it may reflect difficulty controlling pressure throughout the trunk.

When this happens repeatedly during lifting, sports, or training, the spine may compensate by moving into positions that increase compression and irritation over time.

Addressing these mechanics can often help both performance and back symptoms simultaneously.

Exercises Used in Back Rehab

In back rehab, exercises are not just about building stronger abs.

The goal is teaching the body how to:

Create better trunk stability
Control breathing and pressure
Coordinate the ribs, pelvis, and core together
Maintain support during movement and loading

One example is a breathing and bracing drill performed lying on the back with the knees bent while reaching overhead. This challenges the body to maintain abdominal control while breathing effectively and resisting extension through the low back.

These types of drills can help athletes and active adults improve how they stabilize during more demanding movements later on.

Back Rehab Should Be Individualized

Back pain is rarely caused by just one thing.

Sometimes the issue is mobility. Sometimes it is strength. Sometimes it is training volume, recovery, movement mechanics, or pressure management.

That is why effective back rehab starts with understanding what is specifically contributing to your symptoms and goals.

At our clinic, we help athletes and active adults identify the root causes of their back pain so they can move better, train harder, and return confidently to the activities they enjoy.

If you have been dealing with recurring back pain, stiffness, or discomfort during workouts or sports, back rehab may help address the underlying issues contributing to it.

Knee Rehab and Knee Pain Physical Therapy: Do Degenerative Knee Tears Always Need Surgery?

As we get older, some degree of wear and tear in the knees is normal. Degenerative changes in cartilage, meniscus tissue, and other structures are a natural part of aging and years of activity.

However, when people hear terms like “degenerative tear” or “bone-on-bone” after an MRI, many immediately assume surgery is the only option.

The reality is often more nuanced.

Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that surgery for certain degenerative meniscus tears did not produce better outcomes than placebo surgery. This highlights the importance of exploring conservative treatment options first, especially through knee rehab and knee pain physical therapy.

Why Imaging Does Not Always Tell the Full Story

MRI findings can sound alarming, but structural changes on imaging do not always correlate with pain or function.

Many active adults have degenerative changes in their knees without experiencing significant symptoms.

The important question is not simply what the MRI shows. The more important question is:

How well does the knee move, tolerate load, and function during daily activities?

This is where effective knee rehab becomes critical.

The Goal of Knee Pain Physical Therapy

The purpose of knee pain physical therapy is not just to reduce discomfort temporarily. The goal is to improve how the knee moves and functions so it can better tolerate the demands placed on it.

Whether you want to:

Exercise without pain
Return to sports or running
Lift weights comfortably
Hike or stay active
Simply move through daily life more easily

The knee must have the mobility, strength, and control necessary to handle those activities.

Why Knee Mobility and Control Matter

The knee is more complex than many people realize.

While we often think of the knee as simply bending and straightening, it also has rotational components that are important for normal movement.

In knee rehab, we often work on improving:

Joint mobility
Rotational control
Movement coordination
Strength through functional positions
Loading tolerance

One example is using controlled articular rotation drills, sometimes called knee CARs, to help patients improve awareness and control of all the movements the knee is capable of performing.

Building the Knee’s Load Capacity

Another major focus of knee pain physical therapy is improving the knee’s ability to tolerate stress.

Pain often develops when the demands placed on the knee exceed what the joint and surrounding tissues are prepared to handle.

Through progressive strengthening and loading strategies, knee rehab helps build resilience in the muscles, tendons, and joint structures surrounding the knee.

This can improve function, reduce irritation, and help people return to the activities they enjoy.

Surgery Should Often Be the Last Resort

There are certainly situations where surgery may be necessary. However, many degenerative knee conditions respond very well to conservative treatment.

Before pursuing an invasive procedure, it is important to fully explore options like:

Knee pain physical therapy
Strength training
Mobility work
Activity modification
Progressive loading programs

In many cases, addressing movement limitations and improving the knee’s tolerance to activity can significantly improve symptoms without surgery.

The Bottom Line

Degenerative changes in the knee are common as we age, but they do not automatically mean surgery is required.

A well-designed knee rehab program can help improve movement, strength, and overall function while reducing pain and helping you stay active long term.

If you are dealing with knee pain, wear and tear, or degenerative changes, exploring knee pain physical therapy first may help you avoid unnecessary procedures and improve the long-term health of your knee.

Why Turf Fields May Increase ACL Injury Risk for Young Athletes

Across the DC area, more and more young athletes are playing on artificial turf fields. From soccer and football to lacrosse, turf has become a necessity for many schools and clubs because of the heavy field usage and changing weather conditions.

But there is one important thing athletes and parents should know: research has shown that ACL injuries occur more frequently on artificial turf compared to natural grass.

At our clinics, we frequently work with athletes recovering from knee injuries through both lacrosse rehab McLeanservices and treatment with a physical therapist Bethesda athletes trust for sports injuries and performance training.

Why Turf Fields May Increase ACL Injury Risk

One of the biggest differences between turf and grass is how the playing surface interacts with the athlete’s footwear.

On natural grass, there is usually a little more “give” when an athlete plants and rotates. The cleat can move slightly through the surface, which helps absorb some of the twisting forces.

On turf, however, the surface tends to grip the shoe much more firmly. That means rotational forces can travel directly up into the knee instead of being partially absorbed by the ground.

This is one reason why non-contact ACL injuries are often associated with turf sports.

Why This Matters for Lacrosse Athletes

For athletes participating in cutting and pivoting sports like lacrosse, soccer, and football, these rotational forces become especially important.

In our lacrosse rehab McLean programs, we frequently help athletes improve:

Lower body strength
Landing mechanics
Deceleration control
Rotational stability
Movement efficiency

These qualities help athletes better tolerate the demands of turf surfaces and reduce injury risk.

Footwear Matters More Than You Think

One important factor many athletes overlook is wearing the correct shoes for the playing surface.

Cleats designed specifically for grass may grip too aggressively on turf, increasing the stress placed on the knee. Turf-specific footwear can sometimes help reduce this issue by allowing for more controlled movement on the field.

Fatigue Can Increase Injury Risk

Turf fields also tend to become significantly hotter than grass fields, especially during warmer months.

This can increase fatigue levels during games and tournaments. As athletes fatigue, movement quality and mechanics often begin to decline, which may increase the risk of injuries such as ACL tears.

This is why proper conditioning, hydration, and recovery are critical throughout the season.

The Importance of Warm-Ups and Training

Warm-ups should never be skipped, especially for athletes playing on turf.

Programs like FIFA 11+ have been shown to help reduce injury risk by improving movement preparation, balance, and neuromuscular control.

Working with a physical therapist Bethesda athletes trust can also help identify movement limitations, strength deficits, and mechanics that may place additional stress on the knees during sport.

The Goal Is Reducing Risk, Not Eliminating Sport

Turf fields are likely here to stay, particularly in high-use areas like the DC region.

The goal is not to avoid sports or avoid competition. The goal is to give athletes the tools they need to stay healthy and perform at their best.

With proper strength training, movement preparation, recovery, and footwear selection, athletes can significantly improve their ability to handle the demands of turf sports safely.

If your athlete is dealing with knee pain, recovering from an ACL injury, or looking for guidance on injury prevention, our team provides individualized care through both lacrosse rehab McLean services and sports-focused treatment with a physical therapist Bethesda athletes and parents trust.

Adult Personal Training and Senior Fitness: Why Strength Training Matters More as We Age

When most people think about exercise for older adults, the advice is often the same:

“Take it easy.”

Walking, stretching, and yoga are all commonly recommended, and while they certainly have benefits, there is one major piece that is often overlooked in conversations about aging and health:

Strength training.

At our clinic, we believe that adult personal training and senior fitness should focus on helping people stay strong, independent, and confident as they age.

What Happens to Muscle as We Age?

One of the biggest health concerns associated with aging is something called sarcopenia, which is the gradual loss of muscle mass over time.

This process actually begins around age 30 and accelerates significantly after age 60. Without intervention, adults can lose a substantial percentage of their muscle mass later in life.

This loss of strength impacts much more than just fitness. It can affect:

Balance and coordination
Fall risk
Bone health
Energy levels
Independence with daily activities

This is why adult personal training and senior fitness programs should prioritize maintaining and building strength.

Why Strength Training Is So Important for Senior Fitness

One of the biggest misconceptions is that older adults should avoid lifting weights because it is unsafe.

In reality, appropriately guided strength training is one of the best things older adults can do for their long-term health.

Research consistently shows that adults in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s can make meaningful improvements in:

Strength
Balance
Mobility
Bone density
Overall function

Strength training is one of the few things proven to help slow down both muscle loss and osteoporosis.

Strength Training Helps Prevent Falls

Falls are one of the biggest health risks for older adults.

Improving strength through adult personal training and senior fitness programs can help reduce this risk by improving:

Lower body strength
Balance and stability
Reaction time
Confidence with movement

Being able to react quickly and stabilize the body during a loss of balance can make a major difference in preventing injuries.

Senior Fitness Does Not Mean Extreme Workouts

Strength training for older adults does not need to be intimidating.

The goal is not heavy lifting or intense gym sessions. The key is consistency and gradual progression.

For many people, a good senior fitness program may include:

Bodyweight exercises
Resistance bands
Light dumbbells
Balance and coordination drills
Functional movements that improve daily life

Even 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a few times per week can create significant improvements over time.

Adult Personal Training for Long-Term Health

One of the biggest benefits of adult personal training is that programs can be individualized based on experience level, goals, and medical history.

A well-designed program helps adults safely improve strength while progressing at the right pace.

This can lead to:

Better mobility
Greater independence
Reduced injury risk
Improved confidence with exercise
Better quality of life

The Bottom Line

Getting older does not mean you should stop challenging your body.

In many ways, strength training becomes even more important with age.

The goal of senior fitness is not just exercise for the sake of exercise. It is about staying active, capable, and independent for as long as possible.

With the right approach, adults of any age can build strength, improve function, and feel better in everyday life.